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Oct012013

Our Weekend in Pictures

Sorry for the no-Monday post, but I was busy studying and Chris was busy scuba-diving. I thought I would share the weekend in pictures…enjoy!

Chris getting his scuba certification

Great start to a Saturday…

Visited tons of farms and went pumpkin picking

Little Salvation Army visit…

Obviously visited the Humane Society…

Chris almost took this guy home

Awwwwwwwww

Video games

Castle marathons

Going to the Flatirons Mall and enjoying some Sarku

Grocery shopping

Some home-cooked meals

Study snacks (totally stole this from Chocolate Covered Race Medals)

Not to mention WORKOUTS

Chris surprised me with a 3-course meal from one of our favorite restaurants, Dagabi Cucina

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BONUS KITTY PIC

^.^

Sep152013

Happy 25th Birthday, Chris! (aaand #boulderflood)

This is going to be a joint post, written by the both of us, about Chris’ birthday and the flood that erupted on his very birthday here in our home of Boulder, Colorado. And it isn’t stopping. As I sit here, I’m watching more rain pour down as it has since 8am. We got a few dry days, but now the rain is here for a while. Where to begin? Let’s just start with Chris’ actual birthday. I’ll be writing most of it, and he will pop in here and there for certain things.

6:30am, Thursday, September 12th. Chris is still sleeping in bed, I need be at work by 8, but I want to go to our favorite bakery and surprise him with croissants. It’s been raining for a few days now, started Monday and worked its way until today. It’s still raining now. I slip socks and crocs on and head out. I get to the bakery but I am kind of dumbstruck and don’t know where to park. The entire right side of the street is flooded. Now this is before we had any flood alerts or thought there was a problem. I turned around and parked on the other side of the street. The bakery was open and I wanted to get him croissants! There was a worker outside and I asked him how to get through it, and he said, “I just got my feet wet.” I still looked for a way, but it was useless. Water was pouring from the north and streaming into the streets. I ended up walking through a foot and a half of water and they had no croissants! Wish I had taken a picture.

A now-famous picture taken by someone at the library

So I get back, wake Chris up, wish him happy birthday and give him breakfast. We turn on the news and see that it’s pretty bad all over. Highways buckling, houses flooding, people trapped. We eat breakfast and open presents, all the while he is communicating with his coworkers. (It’s Chris now) I want to thank everyone for all of the awesome gifts. I’ve always been quite spoiled. I received a gift card to Macy’s, Amazon, and AMC cinemas along with $30 cash. I also got some nice Burberry cologne, a handmade snake-like bottle opener, and a handmade Giraffe head cork wine topper. I was upset with Alana for getting me so much. She got me the newest iPad with a case and keyboard attachment. She also got me two hoodies: one sleeveless one from H&M and a Legend of Zelda one from Woot. I can’t say what I like the most but all of the gifts were very thoughtful and will fit in this household nicely. I am excited as always to use the AMC tickets for two free movies for the two of us. Especially since there are a few movies coming out next weekend that I want to see. Thanks again to everyone for the kind wishes whether it was family or friends.

Birthday breakfast!

Back to Alana. The 119 (how I get to work) is flooding and Longmont is bad. Chris and his staff decide to close the shop and he goes to make sure the flood damage is okay. Everyone advises me to stay home, so I do. This is all very new and not exactly sure what to expect. It was nice for Chris to have his birthday off of work, but we felt for everyone suffering. Luckily, our apartment is 3 floors up, and we are on a safer side of town. We didn’t do much that day, played video games and stayed inside.Chris loved being able to do that, since normally we have too much on our plate. We just made sandwiches for lunch and enjoyed the down time.

We get a call around 3pm from one of our good friends who lives a block away. He is driving home from Littleton (highways are an absolute mess) and his wife and kid are at home with a flooded bedroom. We run to get the shop vac and bring it over to their place. They were the lucky ones. The western building of their apartment complex got completely flooded with 2 feet of water. We immediately begin to vacuum the carpet out which is saturated and getting worse. A battle we can’t win against the pelting rain coming at us. By the time our friend gets home, we have already dumped out 32 gallons of water.

Shop vac

Pouring out gallons of water

Kicking up water

We knew we couldn’t suck up all the water so we go outside and decide to dig a trench away from the windows and then use the mud to create a barrier. It was messy, wet work, but it did give some layer of protection.

Those rainboots ended up having holes in them…surprise!

Packing as fast as we can

Flexing, obviously

After we finish up, we wash the mud off in a flooded street. We go inside for a little bit more clean-up. Chris is bummed so many places are closed. I had this elaborate plan for the day, that I would take him out for lunch, that after work we would workout and then surprise him with China Gourmet and a birthday cake. Nope, not gonna happen. However, one of our most favorite places in town was miraculously open. They know us well at Korea House and invited us with open arms. We were soaked, muddy, and tired, and this meal invigorated us. We got a fixed menu with beer, bulgogi, korean soup, soups, salads, and mochi ice cream. Because it was Chris’ birthday and because the chef loves us that much, he served us with a big beautiful plate of some of the most flavorful sushi I’d ever had. He also gave us a large bottle of hot sake and another beer for free. Happy Birthday, right? It was just what we needed to bring our spirits up. We told them if they needed a place to stay (they live in Longmont), that they could always come to us. We left happy and it was pouring harder than ever.

Korean birthday feast

We get back safely, though main streets are flooding. We play some more video games for a while and then we get into bed. Things are only getting worse. Chris passes out, but my stomach is in knots. So before I continue, let me just tell you about the wonderful Twitter #boulderflood. Online news can’t do enough. I have been on the #boulderflood this entire time, getting minute-by-minute updates from news agencies, emergency agencies, and real-life people struggling in the flood. It has been an absolutely amazing resource, I still follow it now. So as I’m lying in bed, reading the #boulderflood hashtag, things start getting worse. The Emerson Gulch has broken and now a 30-foot wall of water is heading straight for the Creek. I know college kids can be drunk and stupid and people reported seeing some near the creek, fooling around. I stress about their lives. About how the death toll might rise. After a few hours, I finally get to sleep, only to dream more about the flood and wake up too much. Here are pictures from the house we house-sat at:

Beginning of the day

End of the day…that used to be a back yard

Friday. Despite only a few hours of sleep, we wake up semi-early. The rain has stopped and light can be seen. We stay inside for a bit and then decide to go venture out with Marga and Michael to see the damage. The “unaccounted-for” toll has risen to around 130. There is a lot of debris everywhere, but things are drying up. Mud is the problem since there were massive mudslides the previous night. I hear Lyons is an island and Longmont is incredibly flooded. The YMCA where I work at is closed. Our old street (we just recently moved) got flooded and now instead of pavement, it is a mud street. Our previous neighbors are carrying buckets of mud-water out of their house. It is all mucked up. We continue on for about 5 miles total, seeing the damage. But we don’t even go to the bad area, we get tired and head back.

Our old street

a parking lot nearby

Goose Creek where I run next to

The creek rose to ridiculously high levels

We end up going to the gym, finding a bit of normalcy in our recently turned-upside down life. After a great shoulder workout (my traps are still sore!), we head back home. More video games. We are happy for the lack of rain. I can even see a star or two. We also watch From Up on Poppy Hill, the newest Miyazaki film. We go to bed around 2am.

Saturday. Another dry morning! Evacuations continue at a much higher rate now. The National Guard is here and you can see and hear the military helicopters going here and there every minute (no exaggeration). Our friend (with the flooded bedroom) invited us to go play frisbee golf as we often do on Saturdays. Sure, why not! Well, half the course had some bad flooding, but that didn’t stop us. Afterwards, we went to Glacier (our favorite ice cream joint here) and Chris finally got his free ice cream (because it’s his birthday). We go back to the apartment for a little bit and then head out to the gym for a good chest workout (yes, my pecs are sore). As the day continues, formidable clouds begin to form. We come back, watch Castle and play video games. And have mac n cheese and ramen for dinner, good comfort food.

And now it’s Sunday. Still raining strong. Flood alerts are back. Road closures are back. Unaccounted-for toll is up to 530 people. Tragic stories on the news. I hope I can get to work tomorrow. And I truly hope everyone stays safe. I wish I could reach out and help more people, but it’s hard to get to most people right now. Chris certainly had a birthday that nobody will forget. I will stay vigilantly attached to the #boulderflood to stay in touch with everyone and all events. Please send good energy this way. And some dry weather. And despite all these horrible events, everyone reaches out to each other to help. That is what is keeping spirits up, when everything else is gone. Stay hungry and fit!

BONUS KITTY PIC

Nymeria staying warm

Sep092013

Happy 23rd Birthday, Alana!

Yay! Happy Birthday to me! Chris and I had a great “birthday weekend” (his birthday is this coming Thursday—yes, a pair of Virgos) involving lots of good food and good company. Though I am peeved at myself for not taking more group photos, oh well! ABC Family obviously knew that it was my birthday weekend because it was a Harry Potter Weekend (yessss). So besides home We decided on our “group birthday dinner” (meaning more than just Chris and I) we would do on the Saturday. We couldn’t decide on a place…from Korea House to Efrain’s and we finally decided on one of our favorite spots, Tibet Kitchen. But before that, Saturday morning, we went with friends to go play Frisbee Golf on a hot morning. But the view was incredible.

Frisbee golf view

Sample of a Tibet Kitchen plate

Really should’ve taken pictures of the group as a whole, but it included co-workers, friends, and family–a great bunch. We all had a ton of food and felt pretty full…but not full enough to not get ice cream! We finished the night off well with plenty of ice cream to celebrate. It was a great time. The next morning (on my actual birthday) we went to breakfast at Lucille’s, a southern, New Orleans-style breakfast joint. I always hear how popular it is and we got there at the right time. No wait, and we got a seat outside on an absolutely beautiful morning. We obviously got some beignets to share and some dishes for ourselves. It was absolutely delicious and neither of us could finish it (hellooo leftovers!).

I could eat wayyyy too many beignets

After we stuffed ourselves, we ran over to Flatirons Mall AMC (which has the most comfy recliner chairs, it’s ridiculous) and caught a double feature of The Butler and Riddick (both reviews to come). We enjoyed both, but came out starving because it was about 4 hours of movie time with no snacks in between (I forgot the popcorn!). After a long debate about what to eat, we decided on trying Protos Pizza up in North Boulder. And we loved it. We ordered 4 small pies (don’t worry, it was 4-slice, small slice pizzas, not real expensive) to try everything out. The ingredients were fresh, crust cooked to perfection, and a wonderful blend of flavors.

This is a piece from each pie

After that, Chris went to give a private swim lesson. We did a laid-back workout, and then headed to Ras Kassa’s Ethiopian Restaurant. It was open late and we had never tried it. We ordered a “vegetarian passport meal for two” which ended up being a ton of food plus two drinks and dessert! Let’s just say there’s a good amount of leftovers in the fridge. It was an absolutely lovely night, we sat outside next to a creek and beautiful little lights. We enjoyed some drink and a lot of food and had a great time.

Those rolled up parts are injera (Ethiopian “bread”) to use to eat the rest of the meal

Honey Wine and Papaya Margarita

So I had a great great birthday, and I was lucky enough to get cards from loved ones and presents too. My parents sent me great gifts plus a boat load of Trader Joe’s goodies. Chris got me a wonderful collection of presents that was perfectly catered to who I am. Overall, I had a lovely birthday and look forward to celebrating Chris’ coming up soon. As always…stay hungry and fit!

Trader Joe’s yummies

Yes that’s a bento box on top (and Game of Thrones graphic novel)

Chris got me crocs!! I know my friends will be so happy (not

Miyazaki play on Wizard of Oz hoodie (from Chris, of course)

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BONUS KITTY PIC

Nymeria on her back

Aug162013

Recipe FAIL and a Pick-Me-Up

We’ve had this cauliflower in the fridge for some time now, and we’ve just been so busy moving, house-sitting, being sick, and getting our stuff together that we haven’t done as much at-home cooking as I would like. Sure we’ve done easy peasy meals here and there like quesadillas, muffins, and ramen, but not new recipes I’ve wanted to try. Well this was about to change (or so I was hoping)! I was so successful with my other no-yeast whole-wheat pizza recipe, I was like SURE I can do this cauliflower pizza recipe from here. WRONG. It called for a food processor, but I don’t have one really. So I just chopped into lots of bits. Anyhow, as you will see below, IT DIDN’T WORK OUT. I made the crust too thin and didn’t balance the cheese ratio me thinks.

YIKES-and a blurry pic to boot, nice, Alana

I kind of knew it went wrong after 5 minutes in the oven, but went through some self-denial until after, 25 minutes it was a burnt mess. Determination squashed, I told Chris that my dinner attempt was done and that it was his turn. He debated making a gourmet mac and cheese, but as we are both sick (who gets a cold in summer?!), we didn’t need more congestion, ESPECIALLY since Warrior Dash is this weekend. So eventually, he decided (I wouldn’t give him any input like a brat) on his favorite Chinese place in town, China Gourmet (I can’t believe we haven’t done a post about that place).

I got a delicious Pad Thai and he got Chicken and Broccoli

We enjoyed a nice sunset and spent some good time together sitting down and eating food we didn’t have to prepare. The motto of this story isn’t to get Chinese food after a recipe fail, but I wouldn’t be mad if that’s what you got out of it. What I want you to get out of it is to not be hard on yourself for everything and accept that you’re not perfect and you can’t be good at every little thing you do. I screwed up a recipe–who cares, we made a solution and are happy for it. So next time you burn that batch of cookies, either cook up something easy that you love, make your partner cook for you, or go out for a cheap meal! I promise you will forgive yourself. Use this advice to stay hungry and fit!

Beautiful Boulder sunset

We got a ping pong table! And Nymeria is absolutely adorable with us playing. Need to get a video

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BONUS KITTY PIC

^_^

Jul262013

How to Choose the Right Dentist for Your Kids

Having the right dentist for your children is important. Choosing a dentist for your child is like choosing a doctor; taking the time to research your options to decide on a specialist is the best way to make sure everybody has a good experience.

If your child is reaching the age where it’s time to start seeing the dentist regularly, or you’ve moved to a new area and find a new dentist for your kids, you likely understand how stressful it can be finding a new dentist. It isn’t a process to be rushed, however, because if you don’t get the right dentist for your child, there could be problems down the road. Check out these tips on how you can find a good dentist for your kids.

Ask for Recommendations

One of the best ways to find a dentist for your kids is to ask friends and family for recommendations. You likely have some family friends with kids that are going to the dentist, so asking them which dentist they go to and whether they like the services is a good way to find a dentist.

If you’re moving to a new city, you can ask your current dentist for recommendations or referrals to a new dentist. Even if you’re moving to some far away city like Olathe, your dentist might have a recommendation for a Kansas City cosmetic dentist that he or she knows through conferences or conventions. If you like your child’s current dentist, this can be a great way to find a new dentist because you’ll be getting a valued opinion on a new dentist.

Find Out Policies

If your child has trouble going to the dentist, you likely know the nightmare that it can be whenever a checkup is required. Before settling on a dentist, check out certain policies that relate to your situation to see if the dentist is a good fit for you and your child. For example, if your child is too scared to sit in the chair by his or her self, see if you’ll be allowed to go back there to hold hands. Some dentists might have a policy against parents doing this, which is why it’s important to check policies before making a decision.

On the flip side, some dentists might require the parents to be in the back room. Whatever the situation is, make sure you double check the relevant policies so you can find a dentist that fits your and your child’s needs.

Check the Accreditation

This should be a no-brainer for parents searching for a dentist for their kids, but sometimes it’s often overlooked. Check to see if the potential dentist you’re considering is accredited with the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry. This is the most respected accreditation for child dentists, so make sure that the dentist has this accreditation before agreeing to any sort of agreement. All it takes is a simple question to find out if the dentist is accredited.

Image credit: http://www.bcdentalcare.ca

Jul252013

A Beautiful Summer Beach Wedding (First to Get Married)

This is going to be a very happy post because it was a very happy day for everyone. One of (probably my absolute best, top 2 ^_^) my very close friends recently got married to a great guy. Memorial Day Weekend 2013, Laura and Tim Johnson were married in a beautiful ceremony at the nicest church in Santa Monica, CA.

Woohoo!

First, Laura went to college and met Tim. Then when we went back to LA, we visited them at Pepperdine University and went out for Thai food. We didn’t get to hang out much but Tim seemed like a really nice guy and we got along pretty well. So, I was actually happy for Laura, which is saying a lot because she’s kind of family. (A slightly younger little sister) Later, she tells us they’re engaged and we get the save the date. Excited! We buy our plane tickets for Memorial Day Weekend and then it’s the big day out of nowhere. Here comes the good part!

Before we got there

Getting ready for wedding…Chris the self-proclaimed French hairstylist

Alana and I show up LATE to the ceremony. That’s right. We show up after the bride and have to slip into the church through a side door. Felt horrible but who wants a boring wedding? I don’t think it ruined anything and Laura seemed so into it (and nervous) that she probably didn’t even see. Too many important people there anyway. It was a short and enjoyable traditional ceremony. The priest was very funny and made the boring parts really fun.

Yay!

It was just great seeing Laura and Tim up there. Stuff happened… and then they kissed! We cheered, they left, everyone left, we left. Then, we decide to go to the spot for the reception in a limo bus with her family and closest friends. Alana and I talked to her parents in the bus and they remembered who I was. Her mom has such a great memory and is the sweetest lady ever. Laura’s dad is super nice too. Then, when we get to Casa del Mar (nicest hotel in Santa Monica, great restaurant) we find out that the reception doesn’t start for 4 hours! Oops, we didn’t do our homework. So then we slip out the back door and make our way to Bay Cities for lunch. I texted Laura and Tim to see if they wanted any but it seems like they were too busy so no Bay Cities for them!

Leaving for the RECEPTION this time

Finally we come back for the reception and it was top-notch. Casa del Mar and the host families did not disappoint. The cocktail hour included a free open bar, SUSHI, oysters, sliders, and more. You can see the pictures, including one where Alana tried her first oyster off the shell. Then we all got moved inside and we were seated at Table #2, which had all couples that were basically all from Pepperdine. The only person I know besides those 4 already mentioned was Evi, the maid of honor. I never got the chance to say hi but she made an awesome speech, along with the best man, all the parents, etc. Really heart-felt and nice warm reception. The food was all amazing, especially the filet mignon. On to the entertainment.

Cocktail hour

NEVER AGAIN

Drool…

Alana’s stuffed veggie plate

Beautiful table

They hired a very talented band of all kinds of musicians and vocalists that covered tons of songs. We went from Motown to hip hop to country to GREECE! There was a Greek-Armenian (I think) artist who was hilarious. He had such great charisma and energy and we could tell that everyone that could understand him was loving it. So we were loving it too. They danced traditional Greek dances to traditional songs and we watched. Alana was jealous that she wasn’t Greek. It was a great mix of a traditional American and Greek wedding. Everyone had a great time and we left a little early because we were getting a ride home from Alana’s generous father around midnight (what, are we in high school?). The best part of the night for me was getting to give Laura and Tim a good bear hug and get a picture with the bride. I snuck in and out while they had ten free seconds in between events and songs. I barely made it but I’m glad I did and I’m super happy for them.

Band

Greek/Armenian singer

Father/Daughter

GREEK DANCE

Hopefully we get a chance to visit them in their new home soon! Congrats you two and we better have reunions in Jersey, LA, and everywhere else! Cant’ say enough about that day and wish everyone could have been there! Good luck Laura and Tim. We’re here for you if you need anything! The big picture is that if you are really close and care about certain people then you can just see them after years and it’s like you never missed a day without seeing them. One of Alana’s clients who is an absolutely lovely lady told us that yesterday and it’s so true. Always be there for those good friends because having those extra support systems can mean the world to people. Loving your real family and friends can give you the support to stay hungry and fit!

(P.S. – I haven’t seen any of the Twilight series movies, nor do I plan on seeing them anytime soon. However, Laura and Tim’s first dance was to Christina Perri’s “A Thousand Years” and that was my favorite part of the night. Love that song)

Bride & Groom

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Mar212013

Welcoming Spring

Hello springtime, or should I say, I can’t wait for you to come. I still haven’t gotten used to this Colorado weather, and I never really want to. Freezing cold one morning, and hot and sunny a few hours later. Then repeat something similar every day. It just makes it hard to dress efficiently but we have to deal with it. Friday, it was nearly 80 degrees, or felt that way with the sun. We went out at night and I wore shorts and a t-shirt. This morning it was 20 degrees. Not fun.

Alana was so excited to wear a dress on that Friday

But with all that aside let’s think about what we can look forward to Spring 2013. In our last last post we talked about May’s awesome movie lineup. Also, my favorite… spring cleaning. Make sure you get rid of anything you don’t need. If you see something that you haven’t worn since last spring, you should probably donate it unless it’s very special to you. For every five things I donate, I’ll buy myself one thing. It is my way of downsizing efficiently.

Also we have Easter coming up, which means egg hunts and baskets. But in all honesty, try to take advantage of this season. Now is the time to start getting into shape for summer. Anyone who has been bulking should think about cutting soon. Otherwise, just do some physical activity. A little something can go a long way. This is the season to save your pennies for the summer and holiday season. I don’t have much to say about it, just hope for good weather and take advantage of your time!

Stay hungry and fit!

Mar142013

3 Ways to Cut Bad Energy from Your Life

We all have times where we get down, stressed, or angry. It happens, it’s part of life. Bad energy is all around us and can consume us. But there is a way to control the bad energy that is around us. We do have control over our lives and mostly who surrounds us. Can you think of that one person or place that seems to simply drown you in that negative energy? Is it really necessary? Let’s look it over.

Maybe you’re someone who doesn’t want to be rude in cutting someone out of your life. Or you just think it’s all in your head. Believe yourself–it isn’t. The feeling of being overwhelmed with negative energy is awful and it sucks the life out of you. Why is that ever worth it? No matter what your situation–working, retired, in school–you don’t deserve to be plagued with that bad energy. The kind that drains you, makes you tired, gets you grumpy, makes you unproductive, and changes you into a person you dislike. It makes you feel choked, cramped, and tied down. It even drives the hope out of you.

energy (Photo credit: Sean MacEntee)

Look back at that list. That is not how you want to live your life, even if it’s only part of the time. If you can immediately picture that person who drains the life out of you and smothers you with bad energy, think about if you really need them in your life. This may sound selfish, but sometimes to be truly happy and feel free, we need to be selfish and take the time to re-examine all components of our life. I have done this a few times and there are different ways to cut these people out:

1. Slowly release them from your life. Maybe it’s that one friend who complains about everything and makes you want to tear your hair out. Or that co-worker that nitpicks your everyday activities. You know that they aren’t necessarily trying to drag you down and throw bad energy at you, but–bottom line–they are. And because you know they aren’t evil people, you don’t want to straight-up shut them out immediately. So let’s be diplomatic and slowly cut the line. Maybe start declining outings they ask you on, spend less time near their cubicle, or make yourself busy and not available to chat. Don’t do all this immediately, do it nice and slow and before you know it, that connection will be dusty and you will feel clean and renewed.

2. Approach them and talk to them about it. This is risky, but worthwhile for both of you if you still want this person in your life. Do not be aggressive or confrontational about it. Have a private setting, maybe a small coffee shop, a lunch date, or simply a walk in the park. Bring up the topic slowly, saying something like, “I’ve been thinking about this for a long time, and I really feel dragged down when you do this, or when you say that [obviously interject your own things]. I want to find a way to make our relationship [whether it be family, friends, or lovers] work so that we can both be happy.” That is a good way to start the conversation. If you find yourself getting quick to anger, maybe it’s just not going to work out as the bad energy spreads.

3. Take yourself out of the situation. So, yes, you can cut people out of your life or you can talk to them and try to make them aware of it so they can change. But what about yourself? Give yourself a good think-over and run over any times where you exude bad energy and where or with whom. And maybe you need to take yourself out of the situation. Out of an apartment, a job, a location. I know those sound like big things, but this is about mental health. Take the time, take the step, take the move.

English: Good Energy logo (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Our mental health affects our physical health–nothing is by itself. If one is altered, then the other will be too. So never ignore your physical or mental health. Cut away the bad energy from your life and live free and happy!

Mar102013

Our Saturday Adventure

We decided to utilize our apartment to its fullest and with our trip to New Jersey coming up at the end of the month, we wanted to free up some space. We are driving back to Colorado with some more of my stuff from back home, so the extra large futon that takes up our whole living area needed to go. It was our first piece of furniture here and we dragged it in from the garbage for something to sleep on our first night. I had serious lower back issues for the first month we lived here as a result.

It’s a Saturday and there is a winter “storm” going on (but it ended up just being a miserable wintry mix the entire day). It’s snowing, but not sticking, so it’s just incredibly wet. So it all boils down to us going to the Salvation Army store early in the day and seeing that everything was 50% off. We chose a love seat, our of four options, that only cost $35. However, we needed to get it home and the Taurus (our car) is not big enough. I decided, with permission from a boss, to use a van from work.

Post-“storm”

The winter has been harsh and the van has been seldom used, so after just a few blocks… it died. It was in the 20s/30s and there was a wintry mix of large wet snow flakes. It wasn’t sticking to the ground, but the ground was soaked and, by the end of the day, so were we. As the van’s battery (or alternator) died in the middle of one of the busiest and largest intersections in Boulder, I had to push it out of the intersection. It weighed at least a ton but a nice mother and son helped us push it to the Target parking lot.

Then, since it was out of gas, we walked a half a mile to a gas station and they let us borrow a gas container so we could give it enough juice to help it get going. Then once filled back in the parking lot (we’re soaked and Alana is cold) we ask a nice man to help us jump the car. We jump it and get it back to the shop’s parking lot. Here we push the van in reverse while steering past tight turns to get it back into its parking space. Game over.

That took about three hours, and laundry ended up taking five hours, costing $10.50, and leaving all of our clothes wetter and dirtier than when we started. Tough way to spend our one day off during the week, but we got to spend it together and we love adventures, even bad ones. We want to thank those two nice people that helped us push, the gas station attendant that let us borrow the container that we returned, and the man who helped us jump the car. We want to say thanks for nothing to the people who turned and sped past us while we pushed the van, and the people in the Target parking lot that cut us off while trying to turn a dead vehicle.

Cold Alana during the process

In the end, after some more struggles with stairs and the futon, we got the futon and all of its padding to the garbage (along with an old pillow), and the new mini-sofa in the apartment. The clothes are laid out everywhere air drying (I want my money and time back, Realty Company) and we got one tough workout so the muscles are sore. The apartment has a lot more room, we saved about 13 inches in length and 18 in width, and now we can move some new things in at the end of month. We’re aiming for a cardio machine like a spin bike and our PowerBlock adjustable bench for some home workouts.

New couch with laundry everywhere

Jan262013

Hungry’s Secret Recipes: Humming Chicken Star Deluxe

My father taught me much about sandwiches while growing up. While Mom was always making creative and sophisticated dishes, Dad was the master of the art of sandwich. And it was not something to be messed with in the house. If you didn’t toast your bread, you were a punk. Cheese and salami on bread? Not a real sandwich. He invented the super deluxe sandwich, with all the fixings. Lettuce, pickles, cole slaw… anything in the fridge was fair game to be put on the sandwich.

Being from the New York area and having the earl of sandwich in the house, I inherited a love for the sandwich. My standards are high, even though I’ll eat just about anything. The philosophy hasn’t changed, put stuff on it, and toast it, or you’re just an ingrate.

Without a ton of time before work and having to go in the water for four hours, and five without food, I knew I had to throw together a nice sandwich that wouldn’t hurt my stomach at all. Since I’m getting back into working out, I also wanted a good amount of protein, calories, and carbs since it’s still early in the day and I need my fuel. The catch is that I woke up with some cold symptoms including a sore throat and congestion, so I wanted to avoid cheese and thickening agents.

Here are the ingredients:

1 Morningstar Original Griller
1 large can of Chunk light tuna
hummus, plain
mustard, Gulden’s
butter, land o lakes
whole wheat bread, 3 pieces
1 avocado, large

(I forgot pickles, really just a lack of time)

And the pictures show the rest.

Get the avocado on there

Next comes the tuna

DON’T FORGET TO TOAST IT

Essentially, create a monster stacking sandwich that has toasted bread. First toast the bread. Then construct as the pictures show. Then cover in butter and toast on the stove top. Take that Dad. Feel free to add lettuce and pickles.